Beginner Off-Road Trails
Near Acequia, Idaho

The road to Bear Trap Cave follows the Minidoka-Arco Road. The road changes conditions frequently depending on weather and the amount of traffic. It is an easy road but can be muddy and washboarded at times. The trail begins where farmland ends and leads you through a southern Idaho desert landscape...
Learn more about Bear Trap Cave

Cotterel Mountain Road is an engaging, scenic ridge route near Burley, Idaho, perfect for high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicles and SxSs seeking sweeping valley views. This unpaved track traverses the spine of the Cotterel range, offering drivers a mix of dirt paths, bumpy sections, and rocky cha...
Learn more about Cotterel Mountain Road

From the old highway, you will start on an excellent gravel road lined with sagebrush and basalt rock, which will turn into a dirt two-track with some basalt rock. As you make your way along the fence line, you will get great views of the reservoir and the high desert. This trail runs right beside a...
Learn more about Ride to the Dam

A very well-maintained gravel road leads right to the lake through the bird refuge. Although this is a short trip off the main road, it gives you access to the lake, which is very limited due to the wildlife refuge. You would not know this area was here unless you took this trail to a shallow reserv...
Learn more about Lake View

Travel along the California Historical Trail and pass by the Parting of the Ways. Turning off Yale Road and onto the two-track dirt road with some basalt outcrops, you can't help but imagine a wagon making its way across this landscape. Although it may look desolate from the interstate, there is qui...
Learn more about Oregon/California Parting of the Ways

Starting From the Raft River Side, you will pass by dry farms on a well-maintained gravel road as you make your way up the Sawtooth National Forest. As you make your way from the high desert and into more forest, full of aspens and pine trees, the elevation of the limestone mountains around you dras...
Learn more about North Heglar

This dirt road follows the route from Bear Trap Cave to Crystal Ice Caves and King's Bowl. The route can be traveled in either direction, as it is accessed by various BLM roads and trails. Watch for the deep chasm of King's Bowl Rift as you near the Wapi Lava Flow. In the 1970s, people often crowded...
Learn more about Bear Trap/Crystal Ice Cave Trail

Starting from the Raft River Side, you will pass by dry farms on a well-maintained gravel road as you make your way up the Sawtooth National Forest. It quickly transitions from sagebrush into Aspens and Pine trees as you leave the high desert. One small creek crossing is effortless to make it throug...
Learn more about South Heglar Canyon

Expect a fairly easy trail here in the southern Idaho desert. This trail opens up with a few options to discover. As you head out, the road is fairly level, packed dirt and pretty dusty. You will not find many people out at the same time as you, so you can take your time or bring out some dirt bikes...
Learn more about Wilson Butte

This section of trail is one continuous, long hill climb/descent depending which direction you're going. (West to East is uphill). There are some loose rocky patches scattered throughout and a few small mud ruts here and there. The summit of the trail offers amazing views of the surrounding mountain...
Learn more about Sheep Canyon 1

This route follows the road past Oakley Reservoir. The gravel road around the reservoir is a little rough with many rocky spots as you follow the shelf road high above the reservoir. The final half mile of the trail is the most technical with some steep and very narrow sections around some juniper...
Learn more about Teepee Rocks

This trail from Rockland, Idaho, via Green Canyon to Sheep Canyon, will take you from the high desert landscape and dry farms of southern Idaho up into the trees of the Sawtooth National Forest. The road from Rockland starts as a nice, well-maintained gravel road, and as you make your way up Green C...
Learn more about Green Canyon

Houtz Canyon from the Rockland side is a great off-road adventure for all vehicles, but it can become narrow due to brush. The BLM provides plenty of parking at the start of the trail. The trail takes you from high desert sagebrush and junipers into the pine forest. The trail is dirt/rock gravel and...
Learn more about Houtz Canyon

If you're looking for an easy, scenic drive through the Sawtooth National Forest, then this trail is for you. As you drive through the little valley, beautiful views of the hills and ridges surround you. Time to complete depends if you take any of the connecting trails from off this one or simply go...
Learn more about Lake Fork

This easy dirt road starts at Sublett Reservoir, taking you around the Northern section of the lake, and leads to Sublett Campground. Other trails continue past that point. Beautiful views overlooking the reservoir. There are primitive camp spots along the shore of the reservoir, as well as towards ...
Learn more about Sublett

This curvy and windy section of Sheep's Canyon hugs alongside the slope of the mountainside, offering beautiful views of the surrounding Sawtooth National Forest. There are loose rocky patches, especially around some of the corners. Mud ruts exist here and there. Caution of standing water/mud holes,...
Learn more about Sheep Canyon 2

This section of trail connects to a handful of other trails in the area. The northern half is more mountainous terrain as it winds its way up/down. There are mud ruts, erosion spots, and rocky patches here and there. Caution in the early seasons. The southern half is a wide-open, easy dirt road that...
Learn more about Heglar Canyon

Tour the City of Rock National Reserve. This road takes you through the heart of the City of Rocks and through The Twin Sisters rocks, a landmark used by the emigrants while on The California Trail heading west, and also south towards the Salt Lake Valley. Plenty of opportunities for taking pictures...
Learn more about City of Rocks/Twin Sisters

Seemingly leave Idaho and transport yourself into the terrain you would find in the Western Desert. Grey rock, grey sand, Juniper trees, and even cacti welcome you on this fun short adventure. Pick your adventure if you'd rather take the more difficult direction from south to north, or the easier, q...
Learn more about Slow Poke

Skull is a short and twisty single track in the South Hills Trail System near Twin Falls, Idaho. The entire trail is very tight curves through sage brush valleys. It has some embedded slab rock on the surface of the trail in the beginning to go over, but is mostly rock free. You'll likely see mounta...
Learn more about Skull

The road to Bear Trap Cave follows the Minidoka-Arco Road. The road changes conditions frequently depending on weather and the amount of traffic. It is an easy road but can be muddy and washboarded at times. The trail begins where farmland ends and leads you through a southern Idaho desert landscape...
Learn more about Bear Trap Cave

Cotterel Mountain Road is an engaging, scenic ridge route near Burley, Idaho, perfect for high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicles and SxSs seeking sweeping valley views. This unpaved track traverses the spine of the Cotterel range, offering drivers a mix of dirt paths, bumpy sections, and rocky cha...
Learn more about Cotterel Mountain Road

From the old highway, you will start on an excellent gravel road lined with sagebrush and basalt rock, which will turn into a dirt two-track with some basalt rock. As you make your way along the fence line, you will get great views of the reservoir and the high desert. This trail runs right beside a...
Learn more about Ride to the Dam

A very well-maintained gravel road leads right to the lake through the bird refuge. Although this is a short trip off the main road, it gives you access to the lake, which is very limited due to the wildlife refuge. You would not know this area was here unless you took this trail to a shallow reserv...
Learn more about Lake View

The road to Bear Trap Cave follows the Minidoka-Arco Road. The road changes conditions frequently depending on weather and the amount of traffic. It is an easy road but can be muddy and washboarded at times. The trail begins where farmland ends and leads you through a southern Idaho desert landscape...
Learn more about Bear Trap Cave

Cotterel Mountain Road is an engaging, scenic ridge route near Burley, Idaho, perfect for high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicles and SxSs seeking sweeping valley views. This unpaved track traverses the spine of the Cotterel range, offering drivers a mix of dirt paths, bumpy sections, and rocky cha...
Learn more about Cotterel Mountain Road

From the old highway, you will start on an excellent gravel road lined with sagebrush and basalt rock, which will turn into a dirt two-track with some basalt rock. As you make your way along the fence line, you will get great views of the reservoir and the high desert. This trail runs right beside a...
Learn more about Ride to the Dam

A very well-maintained gravel road leads right to the lake through the bird refuge. Although this is a short trip off the main road, it gives you access to the lake, which is very limited due to the wildlife refuge. You would not know this area was here unless you took this trail to a shallow reserv...
Learn more about Lake View